KETAMINE FOR TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION

Some providers say they've discovered the pain drug ketamine is helping people with depression.

Author:
HealthLink and NBC

Published:
5:20 PM PST December 21, 2017

Updated:
6:09 PM PST December 21, 2017

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Twenty-nine-year-old Brittney Stephens bounced around from different jobs and cities, usually always alone, but once she settled, she still felt like she was missing happiness in her life.

"At one point, I sat down, and I said, 'Brittney what would make you happy?' And I couldn't think of one thing in the world that would make me happy. And that's the point when I said, I need to go get help," explained Brittney.

She went to Kalypso wellness center, where doctor Mark Moran uses a common anesthesia drug called ketamine for treatment of depression.

In tiny doses, given through an I-V, Moran says it has miraculous healing powers.

"It certainly helps with nerve pain like sciatica or shingles. It also helps with inflammatory pain like arthritis, migraines, and fibromyalgia," says Dr. Moran.

The procedure itself is not FDA approved, and because of that, no health insurance companies will cover it, plus it's hundreds of dollars per infusion.

However, Moran believes this is the answer for depression patients like Brittney.

According to the National Institute of Health, antidepressants are not meant to and cannot make people feel happy. But the goal is to help people feel normal.

Brittney says she had realistic expectations for the pills she was given, but she says they made her groggy. On the other hand, she says she's not had side effects from ketamine and insists this does make her happier.

"I'm more productive at work. I sleep better and overall my morale has been so better," said Brittney.

The use of ketamine for depression is considered “off-label” and experimental, which is why insurance companies have yet to recognize it as a valid therapy.

You may have difficulty finding a physician who will prescribe it for depression, but there are more and more positive stories regarding the treatment.